Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records the votes of local representatives and senators from the week of July 12-16. $200 MILLION FOR LOCAL ROADS AND BRIDGES (H 3951) House 150-0, Senate 40-0, approved and Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a bill that includes authorizing $200 million in one-time funding for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges in cities and towns across the state. The $350 million package, a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds, also includes $150 million to pay for bus lanes, improvement of public transit, electric vehicles and other state transportation projects. “Public transportation is a public good,” said Senate Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Joe Boncore (D-Winthrop). “The $350 million investment is among the largest Chapter 90 bond bills to date and represents the Legislature’s commitment to safe roads, reliable bridges and modernized transit infrastructure.” “The long-standing state-municipal partnership established under the Chapter 90 program is critical to helping cities and towns meet their transportation infrastructure needs,” said GOP House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “Today’s agreement continues the House and Senate’s ongoing commitment to support this important road and bridge program.” “When building a better normal post-pandemic, investment in transportation infrastructure is crucial,” said Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville). “Our communities should feel that their infrastructure is reliable and making it easier for them to go back to their normal activities.” “This legislation recognizes that in addition to the backlog of local roads in need of repair, there is an unmet need for local projects that benefit all modes of transportation,” said Rep. Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett) House chair of the Committee on Transportation. “I am pleased that the Legislature was able to provide municipal assistance for road work and expanded funding for towns and cities to advance public transit and reduce congestion.” Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough) said the bill is a smart investment for the commonwealth. “There is no question our local infrastructure is in dire need of repairs and upgrades,” said Feeney. “As we recover from the pandemic and businesses and offices reopen, more people are hitting the roads and commuting once again. This comprehensive investment in our transportation infrastructure will put people to work and allow our city and town officials to forge ahead with the critical projects necessary to keep our communities moving along safely.” “These funds will continue a partnership with our cities and towns ensuring that our infrastructure needs are met at the local level,” said Rep. Brad Hill (R-Ipswich). (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of July 12-16, the House met for a total of seven hours and 42 minutes while the Senate met for a total of three hours and 23 minutes. Mon. July 12 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:04 a.m. Senate 11:05 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. Tues. July 13 No House session No Senate session. Wed. July 14 House 11:05 a.m. to 3:37 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. July 15 House 11:00 a.m. to 2:08 p.m. Senate 11:16 a.m. to 2:19 p.m. Fri. July 16 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Preparations underway for new school year By Christopher Roberson A s a sense of normalcy begins to return to the Everett Public Schools (EPS), plans are now in motion to welcome students back to the classroom. “Our preparations for the next school year are in full swing,” said Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani during the July 19 School Committee meeting. For students in grades K-12, there will be a half-day of school on August 31 followed by full days on September 1-2. No classes will be held on September 3 or September 6. School will resume for all students, including preschool, on September 7. Regarding technology, Tahiliani said the district has purchased 1,800 Chromebooks, 200 laptops, six MacBook carts, 89 Smart Touch TVs and 2,500 hotspots. She said the district has also expanded its bandwidth and is now looking to hire a technology director. “I’m very happy with the progress EPS has made on this front,” SCHOOL | SEE PAGE 20
15 Publizr Home